Claw hammer



Dec. 3, 1929.

C. D. CUMMINGS CLAW HAMMER Filed June 11. 1928 I/VVL'IVTQR 4921M 24 1 TN S /W%% Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES D. CUMMINGS, OF TULLY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWENTY-FIVE PER CENT TO LEO E. FULLER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AND FORTY-NINE PER CENT TO ALEXANDER F. FULLER AND CHARLES A. ALLEN, BOTH OF PORTSMOUTH, NEW

HAMPSHIRE CLAW HAMMER Application filed June 11,

This invention relates to a new and improved hammer head of the type usually designated as a claw hammer.

In the use of hammers of the claw type which are designed so that nails which are embedded in wood or other material by gripping the head of the nail between the claws of the hammer it frequently happens that it is necessary to start the nail from the wood by striking the point of the nail where it extends outwardly from the wood. In many cases a large portion of the shank of the nail will extend outside of the wood and when this is the case and the point of the nail is struck by the hammer there is a great liability of striking the nail a glancing blow and thereby bending it. Such bending makes it difficult to remove the nail from the wood and also is apt to spoil it for future use. The main object of my invention is to provide a hammer head having a portion thereof so constructed that it may be used to strike the point of the nail with the assurance that in all cases the nail will receive a direct blow and not a glancing blow.

Another object is to provide the striking surface for use against the point of a nail which by its design will tend to preserve the point of the nail when the latter is struck.

Other objects and advantages relate to the size, shape and arrangement of my device all as will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device with a handle, partially broken away, inserted therein.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1.

My invention comprises a hammer head 1 having a striking head or pawl 2 at one end and a pair of opposed claws 3 (one only being shown) of the conventional type at the other end and provided with a handle 4 secured in the hammer head -1 by the usual metal wedge -5.

On one side of hammer head l I provide a circular boss 6 with a central depression 7 preferably in the shape of a truncated cone and preferably being pro- 1928. Serial No. 284,490.

vided in the center point of the bottom of depression 7 with a circular recess 8 of a size and shape to receive and register with the point of a nail.

It will be understood that the pitch of depression 7 may be Varied and that such depression may, if desired, be formed in the shape of a cone without the auxiliary recess 8 although I have found such a recess to be an aid in preserving the point of the nail when the same is struck by the hammer.

lVhen it is desired to drive a nail from a board by striking the point thereof the hammer is turned so that some portion of" the depression 7 will contact with the point of the nail. Owing to the conical shape of the surface of depression 7 the point of the nail will slide along the face of depression 7 to the bottom point thereof so that the force of the blow will be received by the nail when it is centered at the bottom central point of depression 7 no matter on what portion of the surface of depression 7 it may have first come into contact with the nail point.

It will be understood that although I have shown my device as being used in conjunction with a hammer of the claw type yet it may be used with hammers of other types and of different sizes and shapes for although I have shown and described a specific structure and arrangement of parts as an exemplification of an embodiment of my invention I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact size, shape and arrangement of parts as various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a hammer head, a depression therein having the shape of a truncated cone and having a smooth surface and a circular recess adapted to receive a nail point concentric with said depression, said circular depression converging inwardly to the recess.

2. In a device of the class described, a hammer head, a boss on one side of the hammer head, a circular depression having a smooth surface formed in the center of said boss and a recess for the reception of a nail polnt 1n the center polnt of sand depresslon,

said circular depresslon converging 1nWard- 1y to the recess.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of June, 1928.

CHARLES D. CUMMINGS. 

